A 'Home Town' Homecoming

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Erin and Ben are thrilled to be helping a couple who are moving back to town after having been away for several years, particularly since the new returnees have the same love for classic homes that they do.

Erin and Ben Napier of Home Town

From:
Home Town

Erin and Ben Napier of Home Town

Kyle and Brooke are newlyweds who've been living in Nashville but are moving back to their hometown in Mississippi. They're eager to return to their small-town roots and find a great home where they may one day raise a family. They're looking for an older home in the downtown area and have a $200,000 all-in budget, including repairs and renovation.

Ben and Erin with new homeowners Kyle and Brooke

From:
Home Town

Ben and Erin with new homeowners Kyle and Brooke

Their wish list includes an older home with charm and character, a large kitchen for hosting family and friends and — true to good Southern form — a really nice front porch.

For the house hunt, Ben and Erin focus on two Craftsman-style homes in a beautiful, walkable neighborhood. The first is "The Jensen House", with some desirable features including high ceilings, heart-pine floors and a side porch — but the kitchen is tiny, the bathroom outdated and the exterior could use some attention to curb appeal.

The second is "The Chancellor House", a five-bedroom home built in 1913 with 3,000 square feet. Downsides: The exterior paint is peeling and the interior color choices are a bit unconventional. It does have a large front porch, but at some point it was screened in giving it a less-than-classic look.

Erin has some creative ideas for re-inventing either home that Kyle and Brooke might choose, with an expanded kitchen and significant exterior enhancements being key in either case.

Erin arrives ready for demo day.

Erin arrives ready for demo day.

Once a decision is made and work begins, some interesting discoveries are made, including potential for some newly exposed brick and one very cool and unusual room feature. Other discoveries, like roofing and water-leak issues, present some less welcome challenges.

After: Upstairs Landing With Rustic Bookshelves

Exposing the brick chimney helped completely change the aesthetic of this space and exposed one of the home's key architectural features. A vintage rug, simple rustic bookshelves and comfy chairs complete the change, turning an underutilized space into a welcoming retreat.

From:
Home Town

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Homecoming

For a newly redesigned breakfast nook, Ben takes to his wood shop to modify some vintage church pews salvaged from an old schoolhouse. And in the living room, an old fireplace becomes a new focal point with boldly patterned tile counterbalanced with colorful framed art by Mississippi artist Walter Inglis Anderson.

The Home Townepisode titled “Homecoming" airs tonight at 10|9c. Be sure to check back here to take the full photo tour and see more web-exclusive videos.

Video Extra

Here’s a web-exclusive Home Town bonus clip with a tip from Erin on cleaning brick.

Home Town host Erin Napier likes to get a little background and personal history on her clients and families before renovation work begins — to help get a feel for the kind of design, features and aesthetic choices that might work best in their home. Here are a few insights provided by client Kristen Robinson, featured in the Home Town episode titled “A Town to Call Home”.

Find out about Linda and Scott Carson — newcomers to Laurel who've lived all over the world and have refined, international tastes to show for it. Erin and Ben help them retain their continental aesthetic while setlling into Southern small-town living.

Ben and Erin Napier take on an extra challenge when they agree to renovate a historic home for architectural designer Bill Holloway and his wife Jody. Bill spent his youth in Laurel, but has been living and working in New York. Now he's ready to return home.

Find out about Mia Walker and family, who took the leap from big-city life in Chicago to small-town living in Laurel, Mississippi. Erin and Ben helped the Walkers find and fashion a perfect home blending contemporary and traditional elements.